Frame for car body



Oct. 30, 1962 K. WILFERT 3,061,360

FRAME FOR CAR BODY Original Filed Feb. 23, 1955 INVENTOR. KARL WILFERT A TTORNEYS,

United States Patent 3,061,360 FRAME FOR CAR BODY Karl Wilfert, Stuttgart-Degerloch, Germany, assignor to Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft, Stuttgart-Unterturkheim, Germany Original application Feb. 23, 1955, Ser. No. 490,065, now Patent No. 2,864,646, dated Dec. 16, 1958. Divided and this application June 24, 1958, Ser. No. 744,295

18 Claims. (Cl. 296-28) The present invention is a divisional application of my copending application Serial No. 490,065, filed February 23, 1955, now Patent No. 2,864,646, and entitled Car Body.

The present invention relates to a frame for a car body, especially for passenger automobiles, comprising two tubular lateral supports which are connected to each other and the upper portion of which is of yoke-like shape.

It is the principal object of the invention to design a frame for a car body of the type as described and in a manner and shape which will considerably simplify the manufacture and installation of the lateral supports and thus reduce the costs of the car.

A principal feature of the invention for attaining such object resides in providing the lateral supports of a lower part of substantially U-shaped design and an upper part of yokelike shape and fitted thereon. According to a preferred embodiment of the'invention the lower part of the supports extends to approximately half the height of the entire car body.

A further object of the invention is to design the two parts of the lateral supports of different shape, so that, for example, the lower part may be stronger than the upper part, thus permitting the lateral supports to be strengthened considerably.

Another feature of the invention consists in connecting the two parts of the lateral supports simply by making them of tubular shape and fitting the ends of the upper part into those of the lower part.

Another feature of the invention consists in making the two parts of the lateral supports of different profile, the lower part, for example, being of boxlike or U-shaped design and the upper part of tubular shape.

Another object of the invention is to make the two parts of the lateral supports so as to be easily separated from each other, and another feature of the invention consists in providing suitable clamping means for securing the upper part of the supports to the lower part thereof.

Another feature of the invention consists in connecting the lateral supports with each other by combining their upper parts in the longitudinal direction centrally of the roof of the car.

Still another feature of the invention resides in connecting the two lateral supports so that the front and rear arms of the lower parts thereof are each respectively connected by a transverse upper part, and these upper parts, in turn, by at least one longitudinal support.

Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description thereof and the accompanying drawings, in which-- FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the supporting unit according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows diagrammatically a side view of a modification of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top view of FIG. 2; while FIG. 4 shows a top view of another embodiment of the invention with the upper parts of the lateral supports being combined along the longitudinal center of the car roof.

different embodiments of the invention, the lower part 1 of the lateral supports of the car body 2 of a passenger automobile may be of any suitable design, extending, for example, approximately to half the height of the entire car body 2. These lower supporting parts 11 are mounted on each side of the seats of the car within the wall covering of the body 2, substantially enclosing the passenger compartment of the car and rigidly secured to each other by transverse supports 3 and 4. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the two arms of the lower part 1 of the support are bent upwardly at their ends and the middle part thus formed is again bent backward and of a shape so that the center lines of their ends intersect above the roof of the car body 2 approximately in the center thereof. In the two other embodiments of the invention as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the junction of the horizontal lower part 1 with the two arms at the ends thereof is made of arcuate shape, and these arms are bent so that the center lines of their ends also intersect above the roof of the car body 2 approximately at the center thereof. In all three embodiments of the invention the lower supporting part 1 is of tubular construction. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to make these parts of a different crosssectional shape and preferably of boxlike or U-shaped' design.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the ends of a yokelike upper supporting part 5 are fitted into the tubular ends of the lower part 1, and secured thereto in a suitable manner, that is, either permanently and rigidly, or easily removable by means of suitable clamps. The two upper supporting parts 5 are preferably I Finally, in the embodiment of the invention as shown A in FIG. 4 the upper parts 9 of the lateral supports again lie in the longitudinal direction of the car, but are de-' signed and shaped so as to come together along the longitudinal center line of the body where they may be secured to each other either permanently or removably.

While I have described my invention with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments or to the specific examples described, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A frame for a car body for passenger automobiles comprising two substantially tubular lateral supports, said lateral supports being disposed within a space limited by transverse vertical planes containing the axes of the car axles, transverse supports connecting said lateral supports, said lateral supports each comprising a substantially U- shaped lower part and an upper part having a tubular part extending in the longitudinal direction of the car body, said upper part further comprising end parts extending downwardly from said tubular part, said end parts being mounted on said lower part.

2. A frame for a car body as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower part of each of said lateral supports extends approximately to half the height of the car body.

3. A frame for a car body as defined in claim 1, where- Patented Oct. 30, 1962,

They preferably are rigidly secured to each in the lower part of each of said lateral supports is bent upwardly at the ends thereof and more strongly designed than said upper part.

4. A frame for a car body as defined in claim 1, wherein at least the lower part of each of said lateral supports is of tubular shape and bent upwardly at the ends thereof, and the ends of said upper part are fitted into the ends of the lower part.

5. A frame for a car body as defined in claim 1, wherein the lower part of each of said lateral su orts is bent upwardly at the ends thereof and more strongly designed and of different cross section than said upper part.

6. A frame for a car body as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper and lower parts are made of tubular material, and the lower part of each of said lateral supports is bent upwardly at the ends thereof extending to approximately half the height of said car body, the ends of said upper part being fitted into the ends of said lower part.

7. A frame for a car body as defined in claim 1, wherein said upper and lower parts of said lateral supports are made of tubular material, the lower part being of greater strength than said upper part, the ends of said lower part being bent upwardly, and said upper part removably secured to said lower part.

8. A frame for a car body as defined in claim 1, wherein said lower part is made of greater strength than said upper part, the ends of said lower part being bent upwardly and extending approximately to half the height of said car body, said upper part being removably secured to said lower part, and means for clamping said upper and lower parts together.

9. A frame for a car body as defined in claim 1, further comprising a single transverse supporting member connecting the two upper parts of said lateral supports.

10, A frame for a car body for passenger motor vehicles including a framework comprising lower parts, each of said lower parts being of tubular construction and formed in the shape of a U extending longitudinally of the car body, the legs of the U extending upwardly to one-half the height of the car body, said framework further comprising upper parts of tubular construction, each of said parts formed as an inverted U-shaped frame having a tubular part extending in the longitudinal direction of the car body and further having legs extending downwardly from said tubular part, each of said firstnamed legs being rigidly connected with and constituting means of support for a corresponding adjacent one of said last-named legs, each of said lower parts being of greater strength than said upper parts.

11. A 'frame for a car body according to claim 10,

L wherein the ends of said last-named legs are received within the ends of said first-named legs.

12. A frame for a car body according to claim 10, wherein said upper parts are provided with interconnecting means.

13. A frame for a car body according to claim 10, wherein said upper parts are provided with connecting means extending transversely of the car body.

14. A frame for a car body according to claim 10, wherein the portions of said upper parts connecting the legs of said U are fastened together in mutual contacting relationship.

15. A frame for a car body for passenger motor vehicles including a framework comprising lower parts having four legs extending upwardly to one-half the height of the car body, each of said lower parts being of tubular construction and formed in the shape of a U extending longitudinally of the car body, the legs of the U being a constituted by two of the said four legs, said framework further comprising upper parts of tubular construction, said upper parts having four downwardly extending legs, each of said upper parts being formed in the shape of an inverted U, the legs of said inverted U being constituted by two of said four downwardly extending legs, the part of the inverted U connecting said downwardly extending legs being of tubular construction and extending in the longitudinal direction of the car body the ends of said four upwardly extending legs being in contact with the ends of said downwardly extending legs, said four upwardly extending legs constituting means of support for said downwardly extending legs, and each of said lower parts being of greater strength than said upper parts.

16. A frame for a car body according to claim 15, wherein said upper parts are connected by a transverse support.

17. A frame for a car body according to claim 15, wherein said upper parts are in mutually fastened contact and extend longitudinally of said car body.

18. A frame for a car body according to claim 15, wherein said upper parts converge toward each other transversely of said car body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,269,451 Ford Jan. 13, 1942 2,864,646 Wilfert Dec. 16, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,366 Great Britain Aug. 28, 1897 

